Category Archives: States

Dear Friend—Our work to ensure the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court is picking up steam and thus far the signs are encouraging. With Sen. Rand Paul announcing his support for Kavanaugh today, many media reports suggest that all the Republicans are likely to support Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation (although we won't take anything for granted).

As important to the successful confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh are developments indicating that Chuck Schumer's outrageous campaign of pure obstruction is failing. Sen. Joe Manchin, one of a group of Democrat Senators who are seeking election in red states carried by President Trump, defied Schumer and met today with Kavanaugh to discuss his judicial record and philosophy. It is being reported other Democrats are similarly wavering and also want to meet with Kavanaugh.

It's imperative that these key Democratic Senators – including Manchin (WV), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Joe Donnelly (IN), Doug Jones (AL), Claire McCaskill (MO), and Jon Tester (MT) – hear from us that we expect them to support the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, a superbly qualified nominee to the US Supreme Court.

In addition to adding your signature to the petition, your action today will also result in an individual email to each of these Senators and to their Chief of Staff urging them to back Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation!

The fact is that the future direction of the US Supreme Court was one of the most important issues in the 2016 presidential election. During the campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump highlighted Judge Kavanaugh as someone he was strongly considering appointing to the Supreme Court. After doing so, he went on to win the election, and in the process carried each of the states represented by Democrats we are targeting with our petition.

Senator Schumer and his allies on the left are engaged in rank, partisan delaying tactics. Their latest gambit is to demand over one million documents that Kavanaugh may have been come in contact with during his service in government so that they can find some "nugget" of information to misrepresent and mischaracterize. It's nothing more than a transparent attempt to push the confirmation vote off until after this November's mid-term elections so that these vulnerable Democrats can avoid a vote on the Kavanaugh nomination. Schumer, of course, hopes that he can pull a rabbit out of the hat and engineer a Democrat takeover of the US Senate, which would derail not only the Kavanaugh nomination but every other presidential nomination that Mr. Trump might envision.

The time to act on Judge Brett Kavanaugh is now. He has been on the federal bench for over a decade and has authored over 300 opinions during that time. Everything that Americans need to know about his judicial philosophy is contained in those rulings. There's no need to go on a fishing expedition demanding a million documents in the hopes that something controversial might be found that can be twisted and distorted by the left and the media.

We are committed to restoring marriage to our nation's laws and the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a critical element in our strategy to do so. Please help us today by signing our petition. And if you are able to make a financial gift so that we can reach more people in our campaign, we would be very grateful.

This is such an exciting time for marriage supporters. Let's keep up the momentum that we've got going in our favor! Thank you.

The Minnesota Department of Education's "School Safety Technical Assistance Council" (SSTAC) has produced and is in the process of considering a "transgender toolkit" that would advise Minnesota schools to adopt policies advocated in the Obama administration's now infamous "Dear Colleague" letter from the Department of Education and Department of Justice. That guidance letter, based on junk science and radical ideology, was officially rescinded and withdrawn by President Trump's administration earlier this year, but the Minnesota Dept. of Ed. seems to want Minnesota's school to adopt its dangerous policy suggestions anyway.

You can read more information about the SSTAC's "Toolkit" proposal here. The article notes the objection of our friends at the Minnesota Family Council. Spokeswoman Stephani Liesmaki said the toolkit "threatens student privacy, safety and dignity, attempts to erase differences between the sexes, which has a profoundly negative effect on women and girls and drastically undermines parental authority."

The toolkit - a copy of which is provided here (PDF) - ranges from absurd but relatively benign guidance on things like pronoun usage to much more ominous policy ideas, like the opening of normally sex-segregated spaces to students of the opposite biological sex merely because they 'identify' as belonging to a gender other than the one reflected on their birth certificate and in their anatomy.

Altogether, this policy is dangerous, and the Department of Education and SSTAC need to hear from you today that these kinds of policies are dangerous and that they don't belong in Minnesota's schools!

Our friends at Minnesota Family Council have put together a letter to MDE and SSTAC policy-makers opposing this dangerous "guidance" package, and we encourage you to go sign the letter today.

maintaining a certain amount of secrecy, and so it may be voted on as early as this month! The MED and SSTAC need to hear from Minnesotans that object to this secrecy and demand a more deliberative and circumspect process.

The letter designed by MFC notes, in part:

While compassionate accommodations can and should be extended to students who struggle with biological realities, such accommodations must be made in a manner that does not compromise the privacy, safety and dignity of all students. This toolkit is not the solution. The toolkit would privilege students who struggle with biological realities above all other students and at the expense of all other students. It is your responsibility to ensure the privacy, safety and dignity of all public school students and I am urging you to embrace this responsibility by preventing final approval and distribution of this toolkit.

The vast majority of parents and students in Minnesota do not want to attend public schools where girls shower alongside boys, where boys can house with girls on overnight school trips, where boys can observe girls inside changing rooms after gym class. Privacy is a basic right and one that parents take very, very seriously when their children are concerned. Please, I am urging you to take it as seriously as parents.

Additionally, taxpayers do not want their dollars spent printing, distributing and implementing recommendations that strip minors of basic provisions every person should be extended - privacy, safety and dignity. Please respect taxpayers in Minnesota by demonstrating that you conduct yourself with integrity - fiscally, procedurally and professionally.

The Board of Education of Frederick County, Maryland is considering a policy that endangers the privacy and safety of the county’s students by allowing "access to facilities, including rest rooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities, that correspond to their gender identity […] without question" [emphasis added].

This ominous policy is far-reaching in its implications. If adopted, it would mandate that:

“All students [would] have access to facilities, including rest rooms, locker rooms, or changing facilities, that correspond to their gender identity. Access [would be] provided without question or additional complicating procedure. Students, including non-binary students, [would] determine which facilities are consistent with their gender identity."

“Under no circumstance [would] any student [be] required or directed to use a private use facility.”
“Students [would be permitted to participate in sports and phys. ed. Classes] in a manner consistent with their gender identity” and “[t]he gender identity of student-athletes [would not be required] to be disclosed to coaches, teammates, opponent’s coaches, or anyone else….”

On “overnight field trips,” any student would have “the opportunity to room with others according to their gender identity,” and while efforts would be made to “accommodate any student who desires greater privacy… no student should be isolated.”

Students and all staff who work with students would be required to refer to students by their chosen name and pronouns, and be provided “a current and complete list of preferred names and pronouns for all students” to be used “in every interaction.” There would also be no dress code for events based on gender.

Finally, and most dangerously of all, the policy states: “Depending on privacy needs or a transgender student’s own personal transition, school staff are authorized to work with students (and their families, if students explicitly wish) to provide options that may support a student’s needs” [emphasis added] - which implies that schools might work independently of parents in implementing policies having to do directly with children’s health, safety, privacy, and general welfare!

This policy is not only absurd, it is dangerous. With this policy, the Board of Education adopts the view of LGBT activists that “gender nonconforming” or “non-binary” students are the only ones with “rights,” and ignores the basic rights of privacy and safety of all other students. It puts the agenda of gender redefinition, a political tool being used by radical activists throughout society, ahead of the privacy and safety of students in intimate spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms. To satisfy the whims of activists and powerful lobbyists from Hollywood and Washington, DC, the Frederick County Board of Education would - without regard to parents’ wishes - force students to use the restroom, to shower, and even to cohabitate overnight with members of the opposite sex! All this in the name of “creating [a] welcoming and affirming]” environment for students who suffer from gender confusion!

So now it is time for us to take action!

Here is how you can help:

We have launched an online petition to the Board of Education urging them to reject this dangerous policy. Please visit and sign this petition right away!

Secondly, if you are able, consider attending the next Board meeting, where this policy is scheduled to be discussed. The meeting will be on Wednesday, June 14th at 6:00 PM in the FCPS Board Room, 191 South East Street in Frederick.

Finally, please share this email with your friends and family in Maryland, especially in Frederick County, and alert as many people to this urgent matter as you can!

Washington, D.C.–The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), CitizenGO and the International Organization for the Family (IOF) today wrapped their #FreeSpeechBus tour intended to spark a national discussion about the biological truth of gender with a visit to the nation's capital in Washington, DC. The organizers said the tour revealed the ugly side of the LGBT movement, which engaged in violence and assault, and inflicted substantial property damage, in a failed effort to derail the bus tour. They also said that the response to the tour indicated deep coordination between the LGBT movement, Democratic politicians and anarchists who are committed to the destruction of civil society. Organizers said the tour was a success in that it highlighted the vicious intolerance shown to anyone in society who expresses dissent regarding the transgender agenda.

"We launched the #FreeSpeechBus tour as a way to spark a conversation about gender, that it is determined by biology rather than by emotions and feelings, and to call for all sides to respect the free speech rights of citizens to debate these issues without fear of being demeaned, harassed, or threatened with retaliation," said Brian S. Brown, president of NOM and IOF. "What we encountered was a sustained, violent, coordinated attack designed to shut us down and force us to just go away. They failed to stop the tour or silence us, and, ironically, in the process made our very point that they don't want to debate the issues and instead will use force and political power to silence Christians and all Americans who understand that biology determines gender."

On the first day of the bus tour, the #FreeSpeechBus was attacked by two LGBT activists while parked near the United Nations in New York City. They assaulted the African American bus driver and destroyed several of the bus's windows with a hammer, while also using graffiti to cover the bus with militant "trans liberation" messages. After repairs, the bus continued the tour to Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia and concluded in Washington, DC. Along the way, it was frequently met by an angry mob of LGBT extremists and anarchists. It was revealed that prominent Democratic politicians were involved in promoting the violence and hate, including coordinating with anarchist groups.

"In Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney's office was deeply involved in organizing the violent demonstrations against us, including coordinating with anarchist groups that are closely watched by the FBI," said Ignacio Arsuaga, president of CitizenGo. "The mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs proudly referred to themselves as 'an accomplice' in organizing protests which turned violent, with attacks on the bus and on police officers by gay activists and anarchists. At least one of them was arrested and bus organizers were prevented from speaking, an act of intolerant bullying the Mayor's office takes pride in. Meanwhile, while we were being prevented from engaging in a discussion with the protestors, the mayors of both Philadelphia and Boston ordered LGBT/transgendered flags to be flown at City Hall."

Brown noted that the intolerance and violence shown to those who hold traditional, majoritarian beliefs about the biological nature of gender is a powerful argument why Congress should move forward immediately to pass the First Amendment Defense Act, legislation which would prevent the federal government from discriminating against people of faith based on their views of gender and similar matters. "No American should be subjected to discrimination or harassment by the government simply for standing by their deeply held beliefs about the nature of gender, marriage and similar subjects. Citizens on both sides of these debates should be able to express their viewpoints without the heavy hand of government harassing and discriminating against them."

# # #

To schedule an interview with a representative of any of NOM, IOF, or CitizenGO, please contact:
Joseph Grabowski, [email protected], (202) 276-4404.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

"John Fleming has been a champion for marriage, religious liberty, life and family values his entire career in Congress. He's a proven leader, a true champion, and an honorable man." - Brian Brown, NOM President

Washington, D.C. – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today announced it has endorsed Dr. John Fleming for US Senate in Louisiana, calling him a "true champion" in support of marriage, life, religious liberty and parental rights.

In an endorsement video released today, NOM's president Brian Brown said, "John Fleming has been a champion for marriage, religious liberty, life and family values his entire career in Congress. He’s fought for a constitutional amendment to protect marriage, and for the sanctity of human life; stood for religious freedom and parental rights; worked to promote fatherhood and encourage fathers to take responsibility for their children; and championed a national day of prayer. He's a proven leader, a true champion, and an honorable man."

NOM's endorsement video pointed out that the next Senator from Louisiana could cast the deciding vote on the confirmation of US Supreme Court justices and potentially decide the future direction of the Supreme Court, making it one of the most consequential votes in history.

Brown said, "We can count on Dr. John Fleming to make sure that only conservative justices like Antonin Scalia are confirmed to the Court, people who are committed to upholding the constitution. We cannot allow the policies of Barack Obama to live on for decades through an activist Supreme Court controlled by liberals."

NOM said it would distribute its endorsement video to supporters across the country and encourage them to contribute to support Fleming’s election. Dr. Fleming is seeking the seat of retiring Senator David Vitter. The top two candidates in November will advance to a run-off in December.

It’s rarely covered by the media, but the political landscape is littered with the wrecked careers of Republicans who abandoned the party’s commitment to marriage as it has always existed, which is a foundational institution of virtually every faith tradition on the planet.

[...]

It should be acknowledged that these races often involve more than the marriage issue. There is usually a range of issues at play in any contested race, whether for the state legislature or Congress. But unquestionably, marriage was a critical issue in all of these contests. Marriage was the issue that drove conservatives to oppose and ultimately defeat incumbents like Anne Zerr in Missouri.

Finally, it is also important to note the importance that support for marriage played most recently in the GOP when grassroots Republican activists made their views clear in crafting the national Republican Party platform last month in Cleveland. Despite an organized and well-funded campaign by Wall Street billionaires and corporate lobbyists to “modernize” the party’s official position on marriage, convention delegates utterly rejected the notion. The 2016 GOP platform is the most pro-traditional marriage platform ever adopted. It specifically calls for reversing the Obergefell ruling redefining marriage. It explicitly condemns as the product of activist judges the rulings on marriage in both Obergefell and the Windsor case that overturned the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and it calls for the appointment of Supreme Court justices who will reject their reasoning. It endorses the First Amendment Defense Act to protect supporters of marriage from governmental persecution. And it calls for a constitutional amendment to return to the states their right to define marriage solely as the union of one man and one woman.

Never fans of social issues to begin with, it’s a safe bet that the consulting class, corporate lobbyists, and wealthy donors will ignore the mountain of evidence all around them that rank and file Republican activists and voters revere marriage and will act to defend it. But Republican candidates should come to understand that succumbing to the pleadings of the elite echo chamber can come at a very high price: their very political careers.

"We did what we promised and went after her, and I couldn’t be happier that she has been defeated." - Brian Brown, NOM President

Washington, D.C. – When Missouri Republican Anne Zerr cast the deciding vote to kill SJR 39, a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the rights of supporters of marriage from governmental persecution, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) vowed to end her political career. NOM delivered last night when Zerr was defeated in the GOP primary for state Senate. NOM mounted an independent expenditure campaign funding mailers and phone calls to oppose Zerr and endorse her opponent, Rep. Bill Eigel. With all precincts reporting, Eigel has defeated Zerr by 385 votes.

"Anne Zerr betrayed her constituents and the people of Missouri when she sided with LGBT extremists to defeat SJR 39, which would have given voters the right to protect supporters of marriage from discrimination by governmental entities," said Brian Brown, NOM president. "We did what we promised and went after her, and I couldn't be happier that she has been defeated. Zerr joins a long list of Republicans who have ended their political careers by voting against the interests of people who support marriage as the union of one man and one woman."

Last April, Zerr joined with two other Republicans, Representatives Jim Hansen and Caleb Rowan, to defeat SJR 39, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have protected people of faith from being forced to participate in same-sex 'weddings' in Missouri. Because of her vote, Zerr subjected Missourians who support traditional marriage to an array of punitive actions by government, usually undertaken at the behest of LGBT extremists. People in numerous other states have been sued, fined, fired and punished, their reputations ruined and their livelihood destroyed. SJR 39 would have given Missouri voters an opportunity to prevent this type of discrimination against people of faith.

"When four Republican Senators in New York voted for gay 'marriage,' we ended their careers," Brown said. "When Republican candidates for US Senate in New Hampshire, California and Oregon came out in favor of redefining marriage, we defeated them and ended their careers. When Supreme Court judges redefined marriage in Iowa, we removed them from office. When GOP candidates for Congress in California and Massachusetts endorsed gay 'marriage' we defeated them. And now we have defeated Anne Zerr over her vote to subject supporters of marriage to punitive governmental actions simply for not wanting to be involved in gay 'marriage.' We urge Republican officials in Missouri and elsewhere to pay attention to this pattern. If you vote with LGBT activists against those who support marriage, you do so at the risk of your political career."

NOM said they are considering what actions to take against Representatives Hansen and Rowan during the general election. "Caleb Rowan has an opponent in his race for state Senate District 19 and we will consider opposing him even though his opponent does not support SJR 39. It would be better for Missouri to have a bad Democrat for one term than to have a bad Republican for a career. Hansen doesn’t have an opponent, but that won’t stop us from letting his constituents know about how bad he is on marriage, religious liberty and giving voters a chance to decide critical issues like this for themselves. Whether it takes a few months or several years, we will not rest until all three Missouri Republicans who betrayed supporters of marriage are out of office. Zerr was first, Hansen and Rowan are next."

"It's the height of hypocrisy that this politician who denied voters their own chance to decide this issue now demands they vote for her." - Brian Brown, NOM President

Washington, D.C. – Washington, DC – Following through on a promise made to citizens last April when the Missouri House of Representatives refused to pass SJR 39, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today announced they have launched, through their NOM in Missouri PAC, a campaign to defeat Rep. Anne Zerr in the 23rd Senate District Republican primary. NOM in Missouri is funding mailings and phone calls urging voters to defeat Zerr in the August 2nd primary and elect her principal opponent, Bill Eigel.

"Anne Zerr betrayed the people of Missouri and the Republican Party when she refused to allow voters to consider critical legal protections preventing government from discriminating against people who believe in marriage as the union of one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "It's the height of hypocrisy that this politician who denied voters their own chance to decide this issue now demands they vote for her. We are committed to her defeat."

As a member of the House, Zerr joined with fellow Republicans Rep. Jim Hansen and Rep. Caleb Rowden to defeat SJR 39 which would have allowed Missouri voters to protect the right of Christians and people of faith from being punished by government because they object to participating in a same-sex 'wedding.' NOM is the nation's largest and most active organization in support of traditional marriage and the religious liberty rights of marriage supporters and will target Hansen and Rowden in the future.

"Anne Zerr has subjected supporters of marriage, Christians and people of faith to punishment and persecution for standing true to their beliefs. She has sided with LGBT extremists who want to punish people of faith for supporting marriage and use the full power of government to persecute them," Brown said. "Zerr has subjected churches, pastors, religious charities and schools, individuals and small businesses to lawsuits, fines, the loss of their livelihoods and the ruin of their reputations. We urge voters to defeat her."

KAYLA MOORE, STATE SENATOR DICK BREWBAKER AMONG SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF CHIEF JUSTICE MOORE AT THE HEFLIN-TORBERT JUDICIAL BUILDINGSATURDAY

MONTGOMERY, AL (May 19, 2016) –

Sanctity of Marriage Alabama announced Thursday that Kayla Moore (wife of Chief Justice Roy Moore and President of the Foundation for Moral Law) and State Senator Dick Brewbaker (R-Montgomery) will be among the speakers to address supporters of Chief Justice Roy Moore at a statewide rally on Saturday.

Friends of Chief Justice Moore, conservative organizations across the state, and churches who support the Chief Justice’s stand for God, for marriage, and for the Constitution will rally at the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery on Saturday, May 21st, 2016 from 11:00am – 12:00 noon.

Rally organizers expect elected officials and pastors to publicly stand with Chief Justice Roy Moore recognizing that even as he stands for God’s truth, for marriage, and for the law, he has done nothing to deserve charges or suspension from his position. They also demand that the politically-motivated and unfounded charges be dismissed on the first day of any trial.

While the rest of America is focused on one of the most consequential Republican primary elections in our lifetime, the Illinois GOP is working quietly to rip marriage as the union of one man and one woman from its platform. On Friday May 20th at 10 AM the Illinois GOP platform committee is poised to vote to remove marriage from the state party platform. We need you to act now.

The GOP platform has for many years called for the adoption of a constitutional amendment to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Sadly, too many Republican leaders and elected officials have largely remained silent about the threat to our society posed by ripping marriage from the law. Their cowardice and silence has emboldened LGBT extremists and across the country the marriage plank in GOP state platforms is under threat.

What the LGBT extremists fail to realize is that support for traditional marriage runs much higher than does general support for the Republican Party brand. Over 50 million Americans have gone to the polls to support traditional marriage, and marriage has always run many points higher than has the top of the Republican ticket.

Not only is support for marriage popular, but it is right. Marriage is our only mechanism to bring men and women together for the purpose of being father and mother to any children born of their union. When marriage is redefined and turned into an institution designed primarily to validate the sexual choices of adults, the interests of children are sacrificed, and society suffers as a result.

If the GOP strips support for marriage from the party platform, Christians and other people of faith will pay a heavy price. Such a move would provoke fierce legal attacks against people who believe that marriage is one man and one woman, just as God designed it, resulting in countless people being sued, fined, fired and otherwise punished for continuing to stand up for marriage.

It's imperative that we mobilize a strong and sustained counterattack against those working in the shadows to shred the GOP platform on marriage and replace it with a tacit endorsement of genderless marriage, and families that are stripped of a mother or father in a child's life.

For most of his career, Donald Trump has been a businessman and a reality TV entertainer, not a political aspirant who is expected to have a grasp of key public issues. Now that he’s running for president, Trump is trying to get educated, but he’s relying on the source he knows best - “the shows” - for his information rather than doing the hard work of actually learning what’s involved in public policy. Sadly, Trump’s ignorance of key issues is an ongoing problem. Yesterday on the Today Show, Trump said that North Carolina had made a mistake in passing legislation to prohibit the adoption of “bathroom bills” that allow biologic males to use intimate facilities reserved for women and girls based on a claim of “gender identity.” Trump said the state should just have left things the way it was because “there has been so little trouble.” He went on to say that Caitlin Jenner would be welcome to use whatever bathroom he wishes in Trump Tower.

There’s a big problem with Trump’s understanding of the issues in North Carolina, or in many public policy battles, especially social issues. You see, the left and LGBT extremists are never content to “leave things as it was.” They are constantly at work trying to force their extreme agenda on America.

That’s what happened in North Carolina when they got the Charlotte City Council to pass an ordinance over the objection of the state’s residents that allow men to use showers, locker rooms and bathrooms reserved for girls and women. The legislation that Trump commented on was in response to this affront to common sense and decency, not some proactive effort on the part of state offices to make life difficult for people who are transgender.

Trump doesn’t understand the complexities of this issue because “the shows” that he relies on for information never educate people about the true issues – they simply shout “discrimination” whenever something occurs in the public square that LGBT groups oppose.

It’s our obligation to call Trump out, and any other candidate who fails to grasp the complexities of important issues like this, with the hope that should he ever be elected, he will become a far more informed president than he has so far demonstrated as a candidate.

As you know, we secured a tremendous victory for the rights of Christians and other people of faith to be able to live out the truth of marriage without fear of being targeted or punished by the government for doing so. When Governor Phil Bryant signed this critical religious liberty legislation (HB 1523) into law, he took a courageous step in defiance of threats from LGBT extremists and their allies in Hollywood, corporate America and big-time sports leagues. Now we must stand up for Governor Bryant to confront the cultural bullies who, right on cue, are threatening boycotts, economic punishment and reputational ruin.

Because of his leadership, no pastor, church or religious group will be forced to participate in a gay ‘wedding.' No florist, baker, photographer or other professional will have to be involved in a gay ‘wedding' in violation of their religious beliefs. Religious schools, universities and social service groups can continue to maintain personnel and housing policies that reflect their beliefs. Adoption agencies have been protected and won't be forced to adopt out children to same-sex couples if doing so violates their beliefs that children are entitled to both a mother and a father. Nobody in the state will be punished or imprisoned for refusing to personally issue a marriage license that violates their beliefs. And no men will be able to force their way into intimate facilities reserved for girls and women, such as showers and restrooms, simply by claiming that he "identifies" as a woman.

As you can see, HB 1523 enacts very comprehensive protections for citizens and is a model for the nation. That's why we must let Governor Phil Bryant know that we appreciate and applaud his leadership by signing our petition today.

Following the demands of the grossly-misnamed Human Rights Campaign, the leading LGBT puppeteer, executives with major companies like Dow Chemical, General Electric, Pepsi, Hyatt, and Hewlett Packard have already demanded that the law be immediately repealed. Governors from uber-liberal states like New York, Vermont and Washington issued a ban on state employee travel to Mississippi. The manufactured outrage over this legislation is expected to continue, and you can anticipate sports executives weighing in with threats to withdraw championship games from the state.

All of this is manufactured and has become the standard fare for LGBT radicals and their allies. They do not want to actually debate the merits of the issues so they declare anything they oppose to be "discrimination" and "anti-gay" and attempt to demonize all those who oppose their agenda.

Governor Bryant in Mississippi is standing strong and now it's our turn to stand with him. Please act immediately to express your thanks to this courageous defender of the rights of Christians and people of faith and let him know that you salute his leadership.

Thank you for all you are doing in support of marriage as God designed it.

Faithfully,

PS — After you've signed our petition thanking Governor Bryant for his leadership in Mississippi, please forward it to others and use the share buttons below to promote it on social media. That's one of the best ways to spread the word about this important petition.

I have some fantastic news! Thanks to thousands of you who responded to our urgent request yesterday and sent emails to key legislators and Governor Phil Bryant in Mississippi, the state House of Representatives passed robust, critically needed religious liberty legislation (House Bill 1523) with a strong margin!

And today Governor Bryant signed the legislation into law!

Thank you all who helped us and our allies secure this tremendous victory against LGBT extremists who want to marginalize and punish Christians and other people of faith simply for professing the truth of marriage as God designed it, one man and one woman.

House Bill 1523 protects pastors, churches and individuals from having to solemnize a gay 'wedding' and protects individuals and small businesses like florists, bakers and photographers from being forced to perform services at a gay 'wedding' ceremony that violates their deeply held religious beliefs. The legislation also prevents LGBT extremists from forcing their gender ideology on Mississippi which would allow men to force their way into intimate facilities reserved for girls and women, including showers and restrooms, simply by claiming they "identify" as women.

This huge win is on top of the tremendous victory we helped our allies achieve the other day in North Carolina, which repealed a dangerous bathroom ordinance in Charlotte and prohibited any other local government entity from instituting a "gender identity" policy that jeopardizes the privacy and safety of girls and women.

See how much we can accomplish together to protect religious liberty and safeguard the rights of people who believe in the truth of marriage?

These two victories could prove pivotal in the fight against radical extremists who are pushing a dangerous gender ideology and who wish to punish people who honor God's definition of marriage. Sadly, these radical gay activists and their allies in big business, Hollywood and big-time sports like the NFL and NBA won some early victories when three gutless Republican governors succumbed to their threats of economic boycotts and reputational ruin. But now with us having prevailed in North Carolina and today in Mississippi, we may have turned the corner and be on our way to enacting robust protections for Christians and people of faith in a number of additional states, and at the federal level as well.

But our victories will be short-lived unless we can raise the resources needed to capitalize on our momentum. We're being asked by allies in Congress and in a number of key states to help them with funding, expertise and grassroots support, but our ability to respond to those opportunities is directly related to how generously you and other NOM members respond to my request for your financial support.

This huge win today in Mississippi would not have been possible without your help. Be encouraged and emboldened by this victory, and please redouble your efforts to stand with us as we fight in numerous other states, and in Congress, for the rights of Christians and other people of faith.

Faithfully,

PS — You can fully expect the LGBT extremists and their allies to go berserk over Mississippi's passage of this robust protection for people of faith, just as they are doing in North Carolina. Your generous financial contribution will allow us to counter their protests and push other states to enact these critical legal protections.

All across America, LGBT extremists are working overtime to force devout Christians and other people of faith to personally participate in celebrating a same-sex 'marriage' even when doing so violates their deeply held religious beliefs. Those who have refused to abandon God's commands when it comes to marriage have been hit with lawsuits and huge fines, lost their jobs and even been put in jail. This must stop, and it will stop in Mississippi if you act today.

For years, LGBT activists lied to Americans about gay 'marriage,' claiming that redefining marriage to suit their demands would not hurt anyone. Instead, people's lives have been ruined and the sexual extremists are intent on forcing every person in America to genuflect at the altar of gay "rights."

It is outrageous that gay and lesbian extremists have been allowed to discriminate against, harass and punish Christians and others when it comes to marriage. Fortunately, the Mississippi legislature just acted to prevent this type of discrimination and passed legislation that will protect the rights of Christians and people of faith, and shield them from being punished for refusing to abandon their beliefs about marriage. Now it is up to Governor Phil Bryant to sign the legislation into law.

House Bill 1523 protects pastors, churches and individuals from having to solemnize a gay 'wedding' and protects individuals and small businesses like florists, bakers and photographers from being forced to perform services at a gay 'wedding' ceremony that violates their deeply held religious beliefs. The legislation also prevents LGBT extremists from forcing their gender ideology on Mississippi which would allow men to force their way into intimate facilities reserved for girls and women, including showers and restrooms, simply by claiming they "identify" as women. Biology determines gender, not "feelings!"

It is imperative that Gov. Bryant hear from you today now that the Legislature has enacted HB 1523. In other states, LGBT extremists have orchestrated a campaign of "manufactured outrage" utilizing Hollywood celebrities, corporate giants and billionaire sports owners who wish to curry favor with gay activists. Their well-orchestrated play book threatens boycotts, companies threatening to leave the state and sports leagues hinting a state may be denied high-profile events like a Super Bowl or college bowl game. Sadly, these actions of intimidation have worked on a few gutless Republican governors like Mike Pence in Indiana, Dennis Daugaard in South Dakota and Nathan Deal in Georgia.

To combat the expected media firestorm and false claims of "discrimination," Governor Bryant must hear from grassroots citizens that you expect him to support the rights of Christians and people of faith in Mississippi and not allow them to be targeted by LBGT extremists and their fat-cat supporters in corporate America and entertainment.

Please sign our petition to Gov. Bryant immediately so that he hears from people like you who live and work in Mississippi and who want you and your neighbors to be protected from adverse actions simply because you believe that marriage is what God designed it to be — one man and one woman.

Thank you for standing strong for true marriage and the rights of Christians and people of faith to be free from recrimination and harassment from extremists who believe that religious liberty must be eliminated when it comes to the gay agenda.

Faithfully,

PS — After you sign our petition please use the share buttons below to share it with all your friends and family on social media so they also have the opportunity to express their support for religious liberty on behalf of Christians and people of faith. If you are not on social media please forward this email to your friends and family. Thank you.